Carry On Winning: Lennon

04 May 2011 09:52

Everybody is waiting to see Celtic buckle under the pressure of the chase. Everybody except Neil Lennon and his players. Neil Lennon wants his players to carry on expressing themselves as they have done in recent games as the final games of the season get played out. The Celtic manager is pleased with how his players have reacted to the game of leapfrog which has developed between them and Rangers as they both chase the SPL title. He is frustrated over regular questions over the squad's ability to cope with the pressure. Celtic will go top of the table if they avoid defeat in Inverness tonight and a win will put the destiny of the title entirely in their hands as they finally play their game in hand on Rangers' total of 35 games. Lennon said: "They have handled it (pressure) so far. Everyone keeps talking about it except for us. We just want them to go and play and express themselves the way they have done for the majority of the season. Everyone outside of football says it's about holding your nerve. It is to a certain extent but it's just about having the ability to express yourselves under pressure. These guys have been under pressure all season and as the finishing line gets closer, obviously the games get a bit more tense but we'll keep that tenseness away from them, that's our job. It's important we keep them fresh and in a good frame of mind but they are doing that with their performances." Many have suggested that Rangers experience of seeing out a championship at the top will serve them better than how Lennon's largely new and younger team since last season will cope. Lennon sees the this situation from a different perspective as he feels the freshness of his players could be an advantage. He said: "They don't know any different so maybe that can work in their favour. I've been there as an experienced player but the pressure is still the same whether you have the experience or not. It can help obviously but it doesn't change the fact that every season throws up different challenges and pressures and Rangers will be feeling it as much as our players."